Dell :: About Encrypted HD Option In A E6400 Notebook

Apr 26, 2009

I'm going to buy a Dell Latitude E6400 to replace my old TP T42.
I only have a doubt about what HD option to choose.

I'm pretty interested in having a encrypted hard disk option (80GB 5400rpm Encrypted Hard Drive) but I don't really know how does it work. On my thinkpad notebook you can choose if you want the hard drive protected with a master password or not. You configure this in the BIOS.

Could anyone say me if on the Dell Latitude E Series notebooks it works in the same way? Or maybe the disk is encrypted by a windows software or anything? I'm worried about this because I'm going to use more than one OS in the notebook and if I'm going to pay for a encrypted hard drive I want it to be OS independent.

Where do you configure this feature? Also in the BIOS or maybe in a hard drive controller?

If the encrypted hard drive is more expensive than other options, I suppose that if I one day I change the disk for another, this one must has encrypted data support? I can't simply change it for any kind of notebook HD?

I'm looking to get a notebook cooler for my E6400, as I am sure some other are considered or have taken advantage of. So, I want to find out one that is going to work the best.

I am considering the following:

- Zalman ZM-NC1000, said to be really quiet and effective. From what I gather blows air up at the notebook

- Antec notebook cooler, also supposed to be quite effective. This one I think sucks away the hot air from the notebook

Now the question is, what is going to be the better choice? I think the fan on the E6400/ E6500 blows hot air out of the notebook right? In which case the cooler that then helps in taking that away would be best?

I have an E4300 coming today with a 256GB Encrypted Mobility SSD in it.

I had always thought that the encryption was totally SSD-based. But in thinking about it, if that was the case, then I could move the SSD to another notebook and it would still work, since the encryption is IN the SSD.

So, there must be something (TPM, etc) that ties the encrypted SSD to the notebook.

Just picked up a (seemingly) great deal on an E4300 from the Outlet with a 256GB Encrypted Mobility SSD for about $1100, and wondered which SSD actually comes with it? I'm hoping it's at least a 2nd Generation Samsung and not some old 1st Gen Samsung that's slow as molasses!

I'd like to encrypt my entire hard drive in this MBP. I use Time Machine, though -- and my understanding is that FileVault (a) is exploitable, and (b) requires that users be logged out for backups to occur. Both of those are big problems for me.

Behind that, the easiest way to encrypt things that really, truly should be protected somehow is to use Disk Utility to create a protected image, or such is my assumption. From what I understand, a .dmg can be converted to ISO within Windows (or opened with 7-zip). Is it at all possible for an encrypted .dmg to be converted/opened under Windows?

I ask because I'm not convinced I won't be on a Windows 7 notebook at some point, especially with updated HP Envy and Sony Vaio models coming. Could be wrong, but I like flexibility.

(I know that TrueCrypt serves a similar function to encrypted .dmg files via Disk Utility and is cross-platform, but still.)

- Documented vulnerabilities- Requires that user be logged off to backup with Time Machine

I have a few things on my notebook that I would like to be kept safe in the event of a loss or theft. I used to use AxCrypt on Windows for this, but there are no OSX builds for it, so what I'm wondering is this:

- If I create an encrypted image and use it like a TrueCrypt/Cryptainer partition, will Time Machine back the image up as it changes over time like any other file?- Is there any reason I shouldn't do that over some other way of keeping things safe?

Just over a week ago there there was an option for WXGA+ display (1440x900) WLED. I was on the verge of buying but I held out for a coupon which I got next day. Problem was the next day the WXGA+ was no longer an option.

I am left with the choice of base WXGA WLED (1280 x 800), the CCFL version of that or WUXGA+ CCFL (1920x1200) @ £100 more. That is too high for me (resolution & maybe price). I really wanted the WXGA+ WLED and am pissed off it has gone

Anyone with knowledge of how dell works have any ideas why they would not be offering it any more or any ideas if it might come back?

Is this the same technology and amazing screen as the XPS Studio 16? Anyone have this screen care to comment? I'm looking for a very bright and high quality screen and the Studio 17 seems like a perfect replacement for my Asus W2V.

So after installing the new 185 drivers a couple of weeks ago, I turned on SLI, restarted, and forgot about it.

Now I just checked the nvidia panel and there is no option to turn on SLI. I went to device manager and only one 8800m gtx is listed there when there used to be 2... seems like the computer doesn't even see the second GPU.

tried reinstalling the drivers but still only one gpu is showing up...

I just wanted to give everybody a headsup that may be thinking about purchasing a Dell laptop and choosing the black chainlink color.

A little backstory:

I'm starting college at the end of the month, and was looking at getting a laptop for my classes. I really liked the Studio 15, read quite a bit of reviews and finally built it all online and got it ordered.

What I DIDN'T know was that the color option, Black Chainlink, was actually a design .....

I have an XPS 12 that I have a question about. When my computer is plugged in the power option is set to High Performance. When I unplug it it goes to Power Saver. How do I get the power option to permanently be on High Performance?

I was given a nice E6510 that doesn't boot. I've taken it apart and tested the memory, all the connections, reseated the processor (yes I used arctic silver) and it never gets past the 'one time boot menu', the diagnostic boot freezes but I CAN get to the very complex BIOS version A16.

So, I bought a new MOBO thinking that would solve the boot issue but it hasn't-it's doing exactly the same thing. may indicate the problem-Dell calls this an "OPTION ROM", may be 'unseated' or the system board is bad.

What is "Option ROM" and how can it be reseated? Are there any other things I can do in BIOS to change this? I also replaced the SATA CDROM and the hard drive, and I know the USB port works okay but nothing will boot from them.

I bought a Vostro 3560 without the 32GB mSATA caching option. I found out that I need a new daughter card 82PYC in order to get the mSATA port available for my Vostro configuration, because the connector is not available if bought without the mSATA caching option. The question is, is only caching with the mSATA port/drive possible or can I buy a larger mSATA drive (say 128GB) and use it as ssd boot drive ?